The agricultural technology of the ancient Greeks

A manually-operated mill

A manually operated mill which the ancient Greeks used for grinding grain. It was still in use until recently.

It consisted of two cylindrical stones ("mortar" and "pestle"), the lower of which was fixed whereas the upper one rotated by means of a handle. The fruit entered the central opening in the upper stone, it was ground between the two stones and it came out peripherally due to the centrifugal force.